Seven Facts about Gwendolyn Lee Byrd

Gwendolyn Lee Byrd is the daughter of late country music singer, Tammy Wynette. Tammy was one of the most influential music artists of her time and had gained immense success. Although belonging to such a famous mother, her children are rarely seen around the media and have stayed away from the limelight.

Here, we will dig into the life details of Tammy’s daughter Gwendolyn following with the details about her parents and family.

Gwendolyn Is The Eldest Daughter of Tammy Wynette

Gwendolyn was born on August 2, 1962, to singer, songwriter, and actress Tammy Wynette, and her then-husband Euple Byrd. She is the couple’s first daughter and was born in the United States.

Tammy had not started her career until the birth of Gwendolyn. She moved to Birmingham when her daughter was 2. The singer started her career there through a country music television show, Country Boy Eddie.

Gwendolyn’s Mother Married Euple Against The Will of Her Mother

Wynette was just 17 years old when she decided to marry Euple Byrd, who was then 22 years old. She initially wanted to marry his elder brother but it did not work hence she tied the knot with Euple in 1959.

As Tammy was only 17 when while married, she needed a guardian to sign paperwork to legalize their marriage. But, her mother refused to sign it and asked her to move away from the house. The actress’s family was not happy about her marrying so soon.

How Was Their Relationship?

The marriage relationship of Gwendolyn’s parents started to turn sour soon after her birth.  They regularly had conflicts and the main reason for this was Byrd bringing unemployment and financial instability.

In one such argument, the singer faced a nervous breakdown and her family had to take her to a psychiatrist. There she was diagnosed with depression and treated with 12 rounds of electric shocks.

Tammy Gave Birth To Two Other Children After Lee

Despite such an unstable relationship, Tammy continued to give birth to two other children with Euple. She gave birth to two other daughters. The younger sisters of Lee, Jackie Daly, and Tina Denise Byrd were born on August 21, 1962, and March 27, 1965, respectively.

They grew up together and faced often family disputes due to their parent’s unstable relationship.

Byrd’s Parents Divorced in 1965

Finally, after years of inconvenience and fights, Tammy and her spouse separated in 1965. As Euple was unemployed, the custody of all three children was given to the singer.

She started to live in Birmingham with her paternal grandparents and gave a new start to her life with her daughters.

Where is Gwendolyn’s Father Euple Byrd Today?

Euple is no longer alive at present. He passed away in a car accident in 1996 at the age of 59. Byrd was buried at the Hillcrest Masonic Cemetry in Fulton, Itawamba County, Mississippi.

In the last encounters of the duo, Tammy shared with Byrd about her ambition of becoming a country singer with the reply to which he taunted her and said, “Dream on baby, dream on.”

The last time he was seen was at one of the concerts of his ex-partner in around 1975. When he asked for an autograph from the singer, she singed it and wrote, “Dream on, baby. Love, Tammy.”

Gwendolyn’s Mother Married Four Times After Separating With Her Dad

Singer Tammy’s life took a 360 turn after parting away from her first husband. She had immense success in her career and also got involved with famous people from the industry. She married for the second time to Don Chapel who was a front desk attendant at the Red Anchor Motel in Nashville. However, this relationship could not last long and they divorced in 1968.

Soon after separating from Don, Tammy married George Jones on February 16, 1969, in Ringgold Georgia. After 6 years of marriage, she also parted with Jones due to his alcohol issues.

In 1976, the actress again tied the knot with Michael Tomlin which was the shortest marriage she had. They divorced only after two months of marriage. Finally, in 1978 Tammy found her actual soulmate, George Richey whom she married in 1978 and eventually lived a peaceful life.

Lee Has A Half-Sister From Her Mother

From her third relationship with George Jones, actress Wynette gave birth to yet another child. She and George welcomed their daughter, Georgette Jones in October 1970.

She is the only child of Tammy who is in the musical industry as her mother. Georgette started singing at the age of 10 and has released five albums until today.

Gwendolyn Is A Mother-Figure For Her Younger Sisters

In a book Lee’s half-sister Georgette wrote, Growing Up With Tammy & George, she mentioned how the eldest was the leader of the troop. She looked after her younger sisters while their mother moved to Nashville for her work. She wrote;
Georgette also thanked her for teaching her to look at things rationally and providing her with parental love. She often shares old pictures of her along with her sisters.

Bryd’s Mother Had A Mysterious Death

After being in the music and acting industry for more than three decades, Tammy Wynette passed away on April 6, 1998. She took her last breath in her living room at her Nashville home. Gwendolyn was the first among the sisters to be informed about her mother’s death.

The singer was buried at the Woodlawn Memorial Park cemetery. According to the doctors, the cause of her death was a blood clot in her lungs. However, her daughters had always been suspectable about her passing away at the young age of 55.

Tammy’s Body Was Exhumed To Perform Autopsy

After Wyntte’s death, her $50 million of property was handed over to her widower husband, George Richey. This was unacceptable for her daughters. Three of her daughters, Tina, Georgette, and Jackie claimed that Richey ignored her medical condition and was ignorant about her deteriorating health.

They filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him for which George requested to perform an autopsy to clarify the misunderstandings. However, the report turned out to be clean, and cardiac arrhythmia caused her death.

Where is Gwendolyn Lee Byrd At Present?

Unlike her sisters, Lee was not present in the controversy that was caused during her mother’s death. Gwendolyn has lived a very private life and seems to be continuing it in her future days too.

Gwendolyn is also not present on social media and we merely have no idea about the life she lives. However, we can assume that she resides in the States with her loved ones.